On May 25, 2017 at 06:33 UTC the “Soyuz-2.1b” rocket-carrier was launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Arkhangelsk region, North Russia. The launch was performed by Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. The rocket orbited the “Kosmos-2518” missile warning satellite. Russia uses the missile warning satellites, along with ground-based radars, to track missiles that approach the country’s territory.